A shady kind of subterfuge
by The Little House Scribe
Summary: Harry finds himself in a troubling situation... (WIP)
1. An inkling of doom

Harry Potter was uneasy.

Usually, this would be quite a normal feeling for Harry, one of the effects of having a megalomaniacal mass murderer after him, but Harry's unease did not involvement Voldemort's vexatious vexation with his person.

In fact when Harry was flying, as he was now, his worries left him for the moment.

But Harry was troubled by a far more terrifying threat than mere Death Eaters…

He was conducting the Gryffindor Quidditch Training session. Katie, despite her hospitalisation, was a good as she'd ever been. Coote and Peakes were taking their opportunities brilliantly, and Ron was in top form. Demelza was performing as well as anyone else, but it was Ginny who impressed Harry the most.

Harry had been worried that her form might have dipped due to her breakup with Dean Thomas, but contrary to his fears, Ginny was the life and soul of the team, and he'd never seen her play better. This irked Harry slightly, as Ginny's flawless performance distracted him all too often, mesmerising him until Coote or Peakes rudely interrupted his Ginny-filled reverie with a sharply struck bludger.

And since Ginny was doing so well, he should be concentrating on the players who needed his support and guidance. No one really did, but Ginny needed it least of all.

And Ron had shown his exemplary knack of observation at the most difficult time. Harry had thought he'd seen Ron shrewdly gaze at him and Ginny, so Harry had to be careful when and for how often he looked at Ginny.

Ginny herself, however, seemed to be oblivious to the internal torment Harry was experiencing, frequently flying by to offer Harry a high-five when a play went well. Harry found himself desperately trying to act natural any time Ginny was anywhere near him.

Harry managed to see out the session without any incidents, and thought his troubles were at least temporally over when he'd showered and changed.

He did not expect Ron to ambush him just outside the door.

"Ron!" Harry nearly jumped in surprise. "What's up?"

Ron's expression was serious. "Harry, I need to talk to you. You got a minute?"

"Sure… Is anything the matter?"

Ron glanced at Harry. "I'll explain when we get there."

"Get where…Ron…"

Ron was on the move. Harry followed him.

_He knows. _Harry thought, panicking. _He knows, and he's going to murder me. He's taking me somewhere to kill me and leave my body as a lesson to all. 'Harry James Potter, you have thought impure thoughts about my sister, and you must now pay the price.'_

Ron was looking strangely at Harry's expression of horror. Harry lightened his expression, trying to convey to Ron that he was easy and unconcerned with the situation as he had done nothing amiss.

It soon became clear to Harry what Ron intended to be the method of his doom.

The Whomping Willow loomed in front of them. Harry half-expected Ron to say something about poetic justice, when Ron levitated a twig and struck the Willow's trigger, freezing the branches and leading Harry into the tunnel.

Eventually they made it to the Shrieking Shack. Ron was silent on the way.

Ron paused to let Harry past him, and Harry walked into a dusty room with damaged furniture and found himself surrounded and outnumbered by the entirety of the Brothers Weasley.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this, Harry." Ron began.

"However, recent events dictated the necessity of such an intervention." George continued

"A matter of gravest import has reached our ears." Fred added.

"One that requires the swiftest response." Percy informed him.

"And it concerns a person very dear to us." Charlie led on.

"Harry, it's about Ginny." Bill finished.


	2. A sense of dread

Harry tried to control his nerves. "Umm…what about her?"

Fred raised an eyebrow. "Come now Harry. An intelligent man like yourself can surely understand our…situation."

Ron inclined his head. "I tried to overlook your behaviour for months; but you left me no choice but to bring you here."

Harry chanced a glance at the rest of the room. If Harry tried to put their expressions into a word, he would have used tentative.

"You're aware, Harry," Charlie began "How Ginny's latest relationship recently ended."

"Such an event brought us great joy…but also great fear." Percy said.

"You see, Harry, Dean Thomas, although we heartily disapprove of anyone who wants to date our sister, was passable, although barely. Now, with Ginny single again, a vacuum has emerged, and who knows what kind of rotten eggs could suck up to Ginny." Bill stated.

"So…" Harry found his voice. "This is about Ginny's relationships? Well, you're wasting your time. Ginny's not going to let any of you or all of you dictate what she can and cannot do with her life."

Contrary to Harry's belief, the Weasleys did not seem perturbed about this revelation.

"Oh, but Harry, we're not going to do anything to Ginny." Fred grinned.

"Yes, why touch a flawless diamond when you can deal with the thieves that want to steal her?" George asked.

"We tried, you know, to deal with the issue by using Ginny last year. You saw how that worked out."

Harry could all too well remember. _Fred and George's Simple Guide to Dating our Teenage Sister. _

"But tell me, Harry, what happens if we focus our attention on the slick, slimy suitors? Triumph, that's what will happen. We can – we shall eliminate all interest in Ginny." Percy stated grandiosely.

"And we'll only be left with Ginny's feelings, Ginny's affections, Ginny's dating interest to deal with. A far simply, far more manageable situation." Bill explained.

"What do you mean to do?"

"A pre-emptive strike, Harry, against those who would think of Ginny inappropriately."

"And when are you going to start?"

"Harry." Ron grinned. "The plans have already been set into motion."

The fading light of dusk caused long shadows to meander up the walls of the room. There was a moment of silence between all.

"Harry." Ron began, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I'm sorry it has come to this…"


	3. A plan begins

By now the fading light had dimmed to the point that the room was nearly entirely shadow. Harry stood stock still, waiting for his doom to fall.

"For a long time." Bill began. "Ginny held an unrequited crush on you."

Harry shuffled awkwardly.

"I know." Ron said understandingly. "But it had to be said."

"We were…concerned that you might…" Percy coughed. "Return her affection."

George took over. "But as we observed you, we realised how perfect the situation was. You displayed no interest in Ginny whatsoever, but you didn't push her away outright."

"So we subtly hinted about the two of you." Ron stated proudly. "It was a brilliant scheme. Take the completely disinterested boy and keep the girl interested in only him. It was like pushing the same poles of a magnet together."

"Unfortunately, we were so caught up in cruise control, seeing our scheme work so perfectly that we failed to notice Ginny begin to lose her interest in you. We were caught unawares, and woefully unprepared. It has taken us a long time to be ready to regain control of the situation."

"But something else happened along the way." Fred stated. "You and Ginny started acting more as friends rather than acquaintances."

"Your behaviour towards Ginny has left us with little choice but to do this, Harry." Charlie stated.

"You see, we're planning a little event." Bill said. "A carrot and stick, if you will."

"You bait the trap, and the rats get caught… I'm sure you understand our gist…" Fred said.

"We're going to do something we've never done before, Harry, and you'll be the first person outside of this inner circle our plans will be….revealed to." Percy said.

"Well, I doubt that Ginny would let you use her as bait." Harry said, stating the blatantly obvious. "And if she got any inkling of what was going on, I doubt she'd let you do any of it."

"Yes, we understand how Ginny's temper could get in the way of the plan. So we've thought up a contingency." Charlie informed him.

"We're going to use my new house, Shell Cottage as the base of operations. I've already asked Ginny to come and visit for the holidays, so she'll spend Easter there." Bill told Harry.

"Meanwhile, we've already released gossip through the grapevine that will attract the rodents to Shell Cottage." Fred and George said.

"They shall fall into our trap, and shall be taught a lesson they'll never forgot."

"But if you start hexing people on your front porch, wouldn't Ginny get suspicious?"

"That's why we won't be using our front porch. We have prepared a labyrinth of doom. However, there is one key matter that has to be dealt with now. I'm really, really sorry to do this, Harry." Bill said, drawing his wand.


	4. The Brotherhood

Harry flinched as Bill's wand swished in front of him, but there was no pain. Panicking, Harry wondered if Bill had simply removed a vital organ and blocked the pain.

But Bill hadn't cursed Harry. He'd merely illuminated the room. Faces that had been shadow were now distinguishable. Ron stepped forward.

"We'd like you to come with us."

Harry nodded, resigning himself to his fate for the moment, and made to leave the room.

"Not now." Percy said. "Haven't you heard a word we've been saying?"

"We'd like you to come to Shell Cottage."

Harry blinked furiously, trying to comprehend what was going on.

"It's a hard thing we ask of you, Harry. Please feel no coercion on our behalf."

"We'd like you, to put it bluntly, to spend the weekend with Ginny."

Harry was flabbergasted and speechless. He wasn't expecting this at all.

"Yes I understand, Harry. I don't know what you could have done to deserve this. But you're the only person we can turn to. You've been such a good friend to us all." Ron said. "All you need to do is spend time with Ginny."

"You want me to spend a whole weekend with Ginny?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

Bill nodded. "And you'll have to be alone with her most of the time. We'll be out deal with the enemy."

"Alone….with Ginny." Harry repeated slowly.

"That's kind of like an oxymoron, wouldn't you say?" George mused to Fred.

"Yes. We need you to keep Ginny occupied while our plan is fulfilled. One of us could do it, but the chance for success would be decimated."

"Well… I'm not sure." Harry began.

"We understand, Harry. You don't want to spend time with Ginny…There's far cooler people you can be hanging around with." Charlie began, and continued when Harry tried to open his mouth. "You're with us, Harry, you don't have to tell us that there's a difference between a little Ginny in a day and a lot of Ginny."

"But Harry, you're my best friend, and we've got no one else to turn to." Ron looked at Harry, beseeching him to accept his role.

"Oh, well, alright."

The Brotherhood cheered happily.

"Come on." Ron said. "We'd best get inside before curfew."

The Brothers said their goodbyes and apparated away.

"What was Percy doing there?" Harry asked as he and Ron walked across the school grounds.

"Well, we still disagree on a lot of things. But his loyalty to the code of the brotherhood has been unshaken."

"I thought he thinks of me as mentally unstable."

"Hmm. I really don't know." Ron said.

His stomach made a grumbling.

"Damn. Missed dinner." Ron grumbled.

"We could sneak down to the kitchens." Harry said.

The duo made their way to the Gryffindor common room. They were stepping back down the stairs to the room with Harry's Cloak of Invisibility hidden under his robes when Ginny appeared beside them.

"Oh, hello Harry. I was wondering where you'd got to." Ginny handed Harry a covered plate. "I saved you something from dinner."

"Oh, gee. Thanks, Ginny." Harry said, accepting the offered plate.

Ron looked completely bereft. Ginny glanced over, smirking as only mischievous sibling could, before she gestured and another plate appeared. "And some for you Ron."

Ron, having been starved for so much longer than Harry, was far less articulate, grunting out a sound that could barely be classified as a thanks.

Harry sat at the nearest table, which happened to be where Ginny was working on her homework. Ron decided to sit elsewhere, but Harry caught an approving glint in his eye as Harry and Ginny made pleasant conversation.

Harry found himself wonderfully at ease with Ginny, which was a pleasant change from the afternoon. They spoke about Quidditch and their families – mostly the Weasleys – Harry found them far more interesting than the Dursleys, and Ginny was only too glad to tell him many amusing anecdotes about life in the Burrow.

But the mood was ruined when Hermione sat down next to Ginny and began working on her homework. There was a noticeable difference in the mood; Harry could not understand it; they shouldn't feel awkward; they were just chatting like old friends.

But that wasn't true. Harry didn't think of old friends like he thought of… Harry cut his thoughts off as he saw Hermione smirking at him; Ginny not noticing because she was crouched over her parchment.

"Oh, don't mind me." Hermione said lightly. "Just pretend I'm not here."

"You're always welcome, Hermione." Ginny said without looking up.

"And now that you're here…" Harry banished his dirty plate to the kitchen and summoned his homework.

"Don't even think about it, Harry." Hermione looked at him dangerously.

Harry flashed a grin in Ginny's direction.

"Why, Miss Prefect has commanded me to not contemplate doing my homework."

"Oh, dearest me. Am I breaking school rules at this very moment?" Ginny looked up in shock, dropping her quill into its receptacle.

"Miss Weasley, I must request that you desist this homeworking. I cannot afford to have my best chaser in detention for disobeying the order of a prefect."

"Thank goodness you were looking out for me, Mister Potter, or else I might have spent the semester chained up in the dungeons."

"A fitting punishment for such a crime, Miss Weasley, but as they say: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

"Oh, stop being ridiculous, you two." Hermione looked up, but she couldn't completely hide her amusement, before she returned to her own homework.

"Nooooooooooooooooo!" Harry yelled. "It's corrupted her! Our prefect has been taken over by the homework bug. Flee before it infects us all!"

Ginny was laughing aloud.

Hermione looked up, frazzled. "For goodness sakes, I'm going over to Ron where I can have some intelligent company."

"Wow." Ginny said as she began to control her laughter. "Ron…Intelligent company?"

"Now that we're alone." Harry said, leaning over. "What say we engage in illicit activities?"

"What do you have in mind, Mister Potter?" Ginny leaned over.

Harry glanced down at the collection of learning materials on the table.

"Oooh, living dangerously. I like it."

The two made a show of looking shiftily around them, before crouching over the table as if they were hiding something.

"If anyone asks," Ginny said lightly. "We're just whispering sweet nothings to each other."


	5. A Brotherhood Musical Interlude

A Brotherhood Musical Interlude…

"Little Ginevra"

To the tune of Hakuna Matata by Tim Rice.

Bill:_ Little Ginevra! What a wonderful girl_

Charlie:_ Little Ginevra! Our plan will be unfurled._

Percy and Ron:_ We mean no dating, for the rest of her days_

Fred:_ It's our trouble-free hypocrisy_

All:_ Little Ginevra! _

Harry: Little Ginevra?

All: Yeah, it's our motto!

Percy: _Why, when she was a young Hogwart (s) student!_

Fred and George: Very nice.

Percy: Thanks.

Percy, Fred, George and Ron: _We found her persona lacked a certain appeal_

_We laid a blind eye as she squirmed and she squealed._

Ron and Charlie: _I'm a sensitive soul, though I seem thick skinned_

Percy, Fred and George:_ And it hurt when she was taken by the heir of Slytherin_

Percy: _And oh, the shame! _All: _We were ashamed!_

Percy: _Thought of changing my name! _All: _Oh, what's in a name?_

All: _ And we got downhearted as all hope departed! _Ron: That's not completely true.

All: Oh, sorry.

Fred and George: _Little Ginevra! We got another chance!_

Percy and Ron: _Little Ginevra! We could sing and dance!_

All: _We mean no worries, for the rest of her days!_

_It's our safety first misogyny!_

_Little Ginevra! Little Ginevra!_

_Little Ginevra! Little Ginevra!_

_Little Ginevra! Little Ginevra!_

_Little Ginevra! _

_It means no worries, for the rest of her days_

_It's done eagerly; our duty brotherly_

_Little Ginevra!_


	6. A Coalition of Cheetahs

It was midday, and Harry J Potter was heading to lunch. Ron and Hermione had gone off to do some other thing, and Harry was alone with his thoughts. It was at this moment that he bumped into someone.

"Sorry." Harry automatically said.

"Don't be!" The person – a boy Harry wasn't acquainted with – beamed. "You're just the person I wanted to see. Or second choice!" He chuckled at his own in-joke.

Bemused, Harry followed him. He led Harry outside the castle, to an inner courtyard. There, upon the lichen-covered stone bench, sat a group of other boys.

"Hi Harry!" Colin Creevey, acting like a toddler with too much sugar in his system, bounced up.

"Colin…" Harry had warmed to the younger boy over time, but was still apprehensive of what appeared to be new-found zeal for something.

"Do you know much about Biology, Harry?" Colin asked. "Because, we're going to use Biology as an analogy!"

Harry looked around at the gathering of boys, confused. A Ravenclaw stepped up. "Calm down, Colin. We'll have plenty of time to explain."

"Do you know much about Cheetahs, Potter?" A Slytherin, who'd been in the shadows, asked.

"Who's cheating?" Harry wondered.

"No, _Cheetahs. _African Big Cats." A Hufflepuff injected.

"A little, I suppose." Harry answered. "But what's that got to do with…"

"We're getting to that. Now Cheetahs are usually solitary creatures, but sometimes, males will join together, to form a band of brothers. This enables them to hunt far larger prey than they'd be able to tackle alone."

"Knowing this, one might see the similarities in our situation. We've joined together, because we realise that alone, there'd be no chance."

"No chance for what?"

"We'd never have a chance with her. But with you on our side…"

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Ginny, of course. Now, ever since."

"Wait a minute. If you want to go out with Ginny, what are you sitting around here for?" Harry asked, confounded.

"Are you mad?" Someone piped up. "Ron will have us in hexes before we got near her. No, Harry, we must be smart and subtle."

"You want me to ask her? What shall I say when she asks who it is that would like to go out with her? All of you?"

"Don't be silly, Harry. We're not asking you to ask her out for us. She'll not have any respect for us if we can't ask her to her face."

"Then what do you need me for?"

"We need to get past Ron – and his ceaselessly vigilant brothers. Then, the survivors of such an expedition will be able to get to Ginny."

"Great plan." Harry said with an eye-roll. "Now, supposing you are successful and get past Ginny's brothers – what then? What if there's two of you?"

"Well, I suppose Ginny will have to choose between us."

Harry paused, musing.

"What if Ginny chooses neither?" Harry asked, with no small amount of relish in his voice.

"Well, then I suppose we'll regroup and try again sometime."

"Harry, I can understand why you'd want to protect Ginny from us, being good friends with her brothers– and we're not expecting you to endorse us to her – you barely know some of us. But surely you can see what we want. We only want Ginny to be able to choose, if she so desires. Her brothers won't allow that to happen. Now it's likely that at most, one of us has a chance of success. But we're all willing to join together so at least one of us has that chance, for if we stand divided, we shall fall."

"What do you need me to do?"

"To be our eyes and ears on the inside. The brothers will probably disclose to, or be less wary around, you."

"Well, that seems reasonable."

"Oh, thanks Harry. We owe you one."

"Glad to help." Harry grinned broadly, shaking each of their hands in turn. "I do have one question though."

"Shoot."

"What makes you think I'm not going to try to get involved with Ginny?"

"Harry, only an idiot would spend so much time around her without asking her out if he was ever going to be interested in her."

Harry shrugged.

"Just think of it. We had the luck of Ron befriending probably the only person who isn't interested in Ginny."

"It's a good thing that's true. Else you'd have just revealed your plot to the competition."

And cheerily waving to him, the Coalition headed off, leaving Harry nearly bursting with amusement.


	7. A Saga with Stew

Harry got to lunch later than he anticipated, but it didn't bother him because Ginny was there, and she beckoned him over to a spot across the table.

"Afternoon, Harry."

"Hi Ginny."

Ginny looked quizzically at Harry. "You look like you're about to burst."

"Umm…Err…I don't know why." Harry said, breaking into a smile as he reached for a roll. Placing it on his plate, he took his bowl and ladled some stew into it.

"Been a good day for you?"

"It is now." Harry said automatically.

Ginny broke into a smile of her own. "I know what you mean. This stew is delicious. It's a shame it isn't made more often."

"Well, that's what makes it special."

Stewing – or rather, basking in the amusement of the situation, the two tried – and failed – to continue the consumption of their lunch.

Harry, who had been dipping his roll into his bowl of stew, looked up at Ginny.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked, for Ginny was shaking with laughter, nearly sending her spoon of stew flying. Fortunately, though her body was undulating with ripples of humour, her hand was steady enough to return the stew to the bowl before an accident happened.

"I don't know." Ginny managed to strain out. "You tell me."

Harry started laughing himself. "I've got no idea!"

Stew completely forgotten, the two started howling with laughter. Eventually, they'd managed to calm down a little.

"We can't go on like this forever. Come on, let's stop this else we won't be able to eat anything."

"Right. No funny business." Harry agreed.

Ginny tried to pull a straight face, but it only resulted in Harry howling with renewed laughter. Ginny soon joined with her own joviality.

"This is ridiculous. What are we laughing about?" Harry asked.

"We're laughing about the ridiculousness!" Ginny answered.

Seeing that they were getting nowhere, Ginny piped up.

"Let's go. We're about to send this flying somewhere – and knowing our luck, we'd probably send the stew into Snape's hair."

"You're right. Let's get out of here." Harry agreed.

Stumbling, the two managed to get up without knocking anything over. Ginny came around the table, and the two (for stability and safety, of course), proceeded to place their arms around each other's shoulder, and still shaking with now quiet laughter, to proceed towards the doors of the great hall.

Someone else opened the doors from the outside. Ron and Hermione were entering. They spotted the two. Hermione's eyes widened, and she looked like she was about to open her mouth, then thought better of it. She nodded politely at Harry and Ginny, who were unable to say much in response. When Hermione had turned away, Ron waited until Harry was next to him before he gave Harry a subtle thumbs up – which Hermione noticed, of course.

But although Hermione's mind was in overdrive upon seeing Harry and Ginny like that, Ron didn't seem perturbed at all; which greatly puzzled her. Then his face fell.

"Such a waste." Ron said sadly, mourning the loss of a good bread roll, fallen into deliciousness. "Stew salvage operation!" Ron grabbed Harry and Ginny's bowls – as well as one as his own.

"Ronald Weasley, you don't know where that's been!" Hermione scolded, as Ron was about to sample the stew that was his sister's.

"True, Hermione; but I know where it's going."

"Evanesco!" Hermione, wisely yet cruelly, removed temptation from Ron's path.


End file.
